Light catcher

Custom Home, April, 2003 by Meghan Drueding

Dan Phipps got two chances to design this restful master bath in San Francisco. Fifteen years ago, he remodeled the Edwardian-style house for clients with a limited budget. "We did the general layout then, putting the master bath in what had been an enclosed porch," he says. When the current owners bought the property they commissioned him to remodel the bathroom again, this time with much more budgetary leeway. Phipps capitalized on his opportunity, creating a luxurious space that captures and enhances natural light.

The inside surfaces of the double-glazed windows are sand-etched to create an opaque surface that still lets in sunlight. Phipps had the etchers leave a frame of clear glass around the windows' edges so that the owners can still see a bit of the out doors without compromising their privacy. Strips of sand-etched glass also surround the vanity mirrors. The etching in this case was imposed onto the top surface of the glass, so that any light hitting it reflects off the many tiny surfaces carved out by the sand. The result is a mirror frame that appears to glow in the presence of any natural or artificial light.

Rather than enclose the shower entirely, Phipps designed a custom concrete panel to partially wrap around it. The shower floor slopes slightly down to a drain. The same concrete panels cover the walls, giving the entire space a flattering pearl-gray sheen with mauve undertones. "We were trying to be subtle," Phipps says of the color scheme, "so it makes you look marvelous."

Project Credits: Builder: Stroub Construction, Sausalito, Calif.; Architect: Dan Phipps Architects, San Francisco; Project size: 160 square feet; Construction cost: $625 a square foot; Photographer: John Sutton.